Plant Futurist Newsletter - Volume One, Issue Two
Dear Plant Futurists,
Our mission at Plant Futures is to accelerate the global transition to a plant-centric food system—prioritizing personal and planetary health and social justice. We equip and empower the next generation of food systems leaders—Plant Futurists—with the knowledge, learning experiences and networks necessary to meet the urgent threats of climate change and accelerating cases of diet induced chronic disease.
As we enter our second year of activity and expand our ecosystem of college chapters and professional partners, we are delighted to share our first newsletter. Below you will find updates from our January 2022 Plant Futures Symposium (attended by more than 600 people from more than 50 campuses around the world!), and a number of articles that we think you might find of interest. We have also commenced sharing noteworthy job opportunities for our recent grads.
Thank you for being involved and engaged in this vital movement and for taking a look at our first newsletter. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Best wishes,
Samantha Derrick, MPH Co-Founder and Director
Interesting Reads
VOX: Yes, plant-based meat is better for the planet “Plant proteins, even if processed into imitation burgers, have smaller climate, water, and land impacts than conventional meats. Apart from environmental impact, reducing meat production would also reduce animal suffering and the risk of both animal-borne disease and antibiotic resistance. The criticisms against the new wave of meatless meat appear to be more rooted in broad opposition to food technology rather than a true environmental accounting”. Read article →
NY Times: A New Wave of Plant-Based Mexican Cooking “Vegetable-forward cooking is hardly new in Mexican cuisine; it has deep roots in Indigenous cultures and a strong presence in Mexico City’s culinary identity”. Read article →
NY Times: The New Secret Chicken Recipe? Animal Cells “Here’s an early taste of the laboratory-grown meat that companies are racing to bring to market, and a look at the questions it raises about how we feed ourselves”. Read article →
Food Politics: The plight of small dairy farmers: a difficult dilemma “New York’s farmers, and other farmers throughout the region, have tried to remain profitable in the face of competition from agribusiness, insufficient transportation, processing, and distribution infrastructure, and federal policies that have essentially subsidized large producers”. Read article →
Forbes: Are White Men Taking Over The Plant-Based Foods Movement? “In a few short years, the plant-based foods industry has grown from being a niche market for tofu and veggie burgers to a multi-billion-dollar industry with record-setting IPOs (Beyond) and insane valuations (Oatly). Almost all of it driven by rich, white men getting richer”. Read article →
Munch of the Month
Seeking local plant-based favorites Do you have a favorite plant-based restaurant? Need a recommendation for a vegan cafe? Take it to Slack! Don’t forget to tag #yourcity for easy searching later on. So far we have Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and Emeryville represented. The Plant Futures community spans more than 26 countries, let’s see how many cities we can cover!